nautilus

/ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs/

//ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"nautilus" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nautilus” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,203. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,203
frequency rank, English
24,391
“N” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A marine mollusc, of the family Nautilidae native to the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, which has tentacles and a spiral shell with a series of air-filled chambers, of which Nautilus is the type g...

Key facts for nautilus
PropertyValue
Headwordnautilus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#34,203
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nautilus” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). nautilus lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around nautilus (IPA /ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,203 among 24,391 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for nautilus, with forms such as "anutilus", "natuilus", and "nauitlus". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin nautilus, from Ancient Greek ναυτίλος (nautílos, “paper nautilus, sailor”). The correct English form is nautilus, spelled N-A-U-T-I-L-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A marine mollusc, of the family Nautilidae native to the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, which has tentacles and a spiral shell with a series of air-filled chambers, of which Nautilus is the type genus.
  2. 2
    A kind of diving bell that sinks or rises by means of compressed air.
  3. 3
    A paper nautilus (actually an octopus).

Etymology

From Latin nautilus, from Ancient Greek ναυτίλος (nautílos, “paper nautilus, sailor”).

Synonyms

chambered nautilus

This word in other languages

nautilo(Español)nautile(Français)Nautilus(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • anutilus
  • natuilus
  • nauitlus
  • nautillus
  • nautilsu
  • nautiluss
  • nautiuls
  • nautlius
  • nauttilus
  • nnautilus
  • nuatilus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nautilus - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

anutilus2natuilus2nauitlus2nautillus1nautilsu2nautiluss1nautiuls2nautlius2
Edit distance from "nautilus"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nautilus"?
"nautilus" is spelled N-A-U-T-I-L-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs/.
What does "nautilus" mean?
As a noun, "nautilus" means: A marine mollusc, of the family Nautilidae native to the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, which has tentacles and a spiral shell with a series of air-filled chambers, of which Nautilus is the type g...
What are common misspellings of "nautilus"?
Common misspellings include "anutilus", "natuilus", "nauitlus", "nautillus", "nautilsu". The correct spelling is "nautilus".
How do you pronounce "nautilus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nautilus" is /ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "nautilus"?
From Latin nautilus, from Ancient Greek ναυτίλος (nautílos, “paper nautilus, sailor”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “nautilus”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-A-U-T-I-L-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɔː.tɪ.ləs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list